With ongoing advances in technology, the field of human-machine interaction has grown rapidly, particularly with regard to personal electronic devices. In particular, many personal devices, such as smartphones, tablets, personal navigation systems, gaming devices, and the like are now equipped with touch-sensitive displays (e.g. touchscreens). A touchscreen may generally provide a flat and smooth surface allowing direct user interaction with the device, allowing a user to input commands and data directly on the display without requiring any additional peripheral inputs (e.g. keyboard or mouse), thereby requiring fewer accessories.
The popularity of personal devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets) is driving the demand and acceptance of touch-sensitive displays in a variety of electronics. In additional to personal electronic devices, touchscreens have also become relatively popular in other fields, including devices related to the medical field, heavy industry, as well as kiosks, such as museum displays or room automation, where traditional inputs (e.g. keyboard and mouse systems) do not necessarily allow an intuitive, rapid and/or simplified user interface.
While touchscreens may generally provide a versatile user experience, they have some drawbacks. For example, unlike a dedicated input device such as a keypad with discrete well-defined keys, touchscreens are generally flat, and, as a result, do not provide tactile guidance for a user when interacting with and inputting data on the touchscreen interface. Rather, a user generally relies on visual guidance when interacting with and inputting data on the touchscreen. Hence, a serious drawback of touchscreens is the inherent difficulty for a user to input data accurately because adjacent inputs (e.g. buttons) may be indistinguishable from one another, particularly by feel. For example, it may be common to incorrectly enter key strokes on touchscreens and, as such, the user is generally required to maintain eye contact on the display to ensure data input is accurate.
Some devices provide tactile guidance to users, but in limited form. For example, some devices include stimulation in the form of vibrations in response to a user touching the screen and inputting data or making a selection on the touchscreen. Alternatively, or in addition to, feedback via a vibrational response, some devices may provide an audible response, such as a clicking sound, in response to user input. However, stimulation in the form of vibration and/or audible cues to alert the user of input on the touchscreen do not necessarily mitigate the lack of tactile guidance in touchscreens. The lack of tactile guidance may be especially critical in certain settings where potentially dangerous machines and parts are in constant motion, such as when attempting to interact with the touchscreen while operating the controls of a moving vehicle (e.g. making a cellular telephone call while driving). In these instances, the user may still be required to maintain eye contact with the touchscreen to ensure accurate interaction and navigation of the user interface, which may redirect the user's focus away from the task at hand (e.g. driving), and ultimately increase the risk of injury.